Extension fibe ladder



4 Sheets-Sheet 1."

(No Model.)

T. W. RUSSELL.

EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

No. 388,448. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Mhngnpher, Wanhlnglon, 0.0.

(No Mo del.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. W. RUSSELL.

EXTENSION FIRE LADDER. v No. 388,448. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

(No Model.) 4 Sh ,etsSheet 3.

T. W. RUSSELL.

EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

No. 388,448. Patented Aug-Z8, 1888.

WITNEEEE -i g wwyb (No Model.) 4'Sheets-Sheet 4. 1

T. W. RUSSELL.-

" EXTENSION FIRE LADDER.

N0. 388 8. Patented Aug. 28, 1888. 8

Wineases. V 8 fifi M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. RUSSELL, OF UNION BRIDGE, MARYLAND.

EXTENSION FIRE-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,448, dated August28, 1888.

Application filed November 19, 1887. Serial No. 255,670. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. RossELL, of Union Bridge, in the county ofCarroll and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Extension Fire- Ladders, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and tothe letters of reference mark ed thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide an extension ladder that can bereadily transported on a two-wheeled truck, quickly elevated andextended at any desired angle, and be firmly held in position by meansof suitable braces and ropes attached to the truck and the ladder; andmy invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top View of the ladder andtruck when in position for transportation. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section on the line as m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side View,partly in section, showing the truck braced and the ladder elevated butnot extended. Fig. 4 is a side view of the truck and ladder when inposition for transportation, one wheel being removed. Fig. 5 is avertical central section showing the truck with the ladder elevated andextended. Fig. 6 is a front view of the same. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11are detached details, as hereinafter described.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A is the axle, and a a are the wheels. To the axle A is rigidly secureda rectangular frame composed of sides a a and the ends a o The sides aremade of two pieces securely fastened together, the upper piece beingnarrower than the bottom piece, so as to form a rabbet, a (See Fig. 3.)The sides are also provided with posts a a on their outer edge. Thisframe is of the same width as the laddersections,and is intended tosupport them while being transported or when they are not elevated. Therabbets a and posts a serve to prevent any side movement of theladder-sections. Near each end of the axle, and at a point, 22, betweenthe wheels aand the sides a of the frame, are hinged the side beams, BB, and at points a c on the beams B B are hinged the side beams, O O,the latter lying on the upper face of the former when the apparatus isclosed and extending some distance beyond the axle in a directionopposite to that in which the beams B B extend. The beams B B areconnected together at their ends remote from the axle by the bar D,which bar also serves as a handle to be used in propelling theapparatus. To the under side of the beams B are hinged the bracesE,whieh, when not in use, can be folded up under the beams B and held inposition by the hook e and eyebolt a. (See Fig. 4..) When, however, thebraces E are in use, they are securely held in position by means of therods F, which are pivoted at one end on the beamsBat f and provided withhooks on their other end to hook into the eyebolt e. rods F can befolded up and secured to the sides of the beams B by means of theeyebolts f. (See Fig. 4.) The beams G G are connected together at theirends remote from the point where they are hinged to the beams B by thecross-bar 0. Just above the cross-bar c is a shaft, G, mounted insuitable bearings on the beams C,and provided at each end, near theinner sides of the beams G, with a reel, 0. One end of the shaft Gextends beyond the outer side of one of the beams C, and is providedwith a handle, 0, and a ratehetwheel, c, with which the pawl 0 securedto the side of the beam 0, is adapted to engage. On the inner sides ofthe beams O,and at a point,h, immediately above the shaft G, are pivotedthe rods H, which, when the ladder is elevated, are adapted to hook intoeyebolts h on one side of the axle A, and when the apparatus is closedwill lie on and be supported by the top face of the axle. (See Fig. 1.)

The parts above described constitute the truck. I will now proceed todescribe the ladder, the manner of connecting it to the truck, and themeans for operating the ladder.

I J K are ladder-sections of uniform width, adopted to lie one above theother, and being provided with suitable guides, i, on their sides toprevent lateral movement. These guides '5, which are rigidly secured atone end to one of the laddersections, are bent at their free ends eitherover or under the contiguous section, as the case may be, thus servingto hold thesec- (See Fig. 8.) When not in use, these IOO tions togetherwhen extended. The section K is also provided on each side with twostops, 'it", which are adapted to come in contact with the upper guide,i, on the section J when the ladder has been extended orlowered to itsfull limit, as the case may be. (See Fig. 6.) The shaft J is alsoprovided on each side with a stop, '5 adapted to come in contact withthe upper guide on the section I when the ladder has been lowered to itsfull extent. To the inner sides of the stiles of theladder section I aresecured ratchetplates L, (an enlarged view of which is seen inFig. 11,)and to the'upper faces of the stiles of the ladder-section J are securedthe ratchet-plates M, (an enlarged View of which is seen in FigJIO.)

The stiles of the ladder-sections Jand Kare each provided on their innersides with pawls N, adapted to engage with the teeth of theratchet-plates L and M. These pawls are held in engagement with theteeth by means of the spring at. WVhen it is desired to hold the pawlout ofengagement with the teeth,"I use aspringcatch constructed in thefollowing manner, reference being had particularly to Figs. 7, S, and 9:

A plate, O,'has a square hole cut in its center, into which hole arectangular bent hook is inserted, its longer part, 0, being bent andenlarged at its outer end to form a thumbpieee, and its shorter end, 0,extending beyond the plate 0 a distance about equal to the width of thepawl N. From the under side of the hook a pin, 0, projects, around whicha spiral spring, 0, is coiled. The end of the pin 0 extends through ahole in the housing 0*, which is attached to the under side of the plate0 and incloses the pin, spring, and part of the hook. By pressing on thethumb-piece 0 the short end 0' of the hook may be forced back till it isflush with the face of the plate 0. The pawl N is then lifted up till itcomes in contactwith thelonger part of the hook, when on removing thepressure on the thumb-piece the spiral spring will force the hookoutward and the pawl will be supported by the short end 0 of the hook.(See Fig. 7.) \Vhen it is required to release the pawl, it is onlynecessary to press the short end of the hook out of engagement with it,when it will drop down into engagement with the ratchet-teeth.

Near the lower end of the section I a shaft, P,is mounted in suitablebearings, and extends at one end beyond the outer face of the stile ofthe ladder, and is provided with a handle, p, and a ratchet-wheehp, withwhich the pawl 11 is adapted to engage.

On the top rung of the ladder-section I two pulleys, Q Q, are mounted,the rung being mountedin bearings g on theinner sidesof the stiles andrevolving therein. On the top rung of the ladder-section J anotherpulley, Q, is mounted, the rung revolving in suitable bearings, q. BopesR R are attached at one end to the bottom rung, r, of the section J,pass over the pulleys Q Q, and are secured-one at either end-to theshaft P, on which they can be wound. Anotherrope,S,is attached at oneend to the bottom rung, s, of the section K, passes over the pulley Q,and is secured to the sec ond rung, s, of the section I.

On the inner sides of the beams B, and near the bar D, pulleys T T aresecured. Ropes U Uare attached-one on each stile-to the top of theladder-section I, pass over the pulleys T, and are wound on the reels 0of the shaft G.

Rods U U are pivotally attached at one end to the axle A and at theirother end to the foot of the stiles of the ladder-section I, thusholding the foot of the ladder firmly in position.

V is a sliding catch on the under side of the beam B, for the purposesof supporting the rectangular frame when the ladder is beingtransported.

At the upper ends of the stiles of the section K are friction-\vheels WV\V, which may be of any suitable material, and are for the purpose ofallowing the ladder to be more easily extended should its upper end bein contact with a wall or other surface.

Theladder is operated as follows: Supposing the ladder and truck to bein the position show-n in Fig. 4, in order to elevate the ladder, thesliding catch V is moved back, allowing the beams B and the rectangularframe to move independently of each other. The braces E are thenreleased from the hooks e, the beams B are elevated, and the braces Epushed under them until the rods F can be hooked into the eyebolts e".The beams 0 must at the same time be extended outward at their free endstill the rods H can be hooked into the eyebolts h". The apparatus willthen be in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the exception that theladder-sections will still be lying on the rectangular frame. Byrevolving the shaft G the ladder-sections can be ele vated to anydesired angle and securely held in position by means of theratchet-wheel 0 and pawl 0 The pawls N having been released from thespring-catches, the apparatus will now be in the position shown in Fig3. By revolving the shaft 1? the ropes R R will be wound thereon and thesections J K will be extended beyond the section I, and at the same timethe section K will be extended beyond and independently of the section Jin the same relative degree by means of the rope S. The apparatus willthen be in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the ladder will besecurely held in such position by means of the ratchet plates L and M,pawls N, and the ratchet-wheels and 0 and pawlsp and c. In order toclose and lower the ladder-section, the pawls N are lifted out ofengagement with the teeth of the ratchet-plates L and M and held up bythe springcatehes. The pawl 19 is then lifted out of engagement with theratchet-wheel p, when the sections J and K will lower themselves bytheir own weight. By releasing the pawl c from the ratchet-wheel 0* theladder-sections can be lowered till they again rest on the rectangularframe. The braces E and rods H can then be released, the

ICO

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beams 13 B lowered,and the rectangular frame secured to the beams bymeans of the sliding catch V,when the apparatus will again be in theposition shown in Fig. 4 and be ready for transportation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The axle A, having arectangular frame rigidly secured thereto, said frame having a rabbetformed on its side pieces and being provided with posts secured to saidpieces, combined with the beams 13 and O and a sectional ladder,substantially as described.

2. The axle A, having a rectangular frame rigidly secured thereto, saidframe having a rabbet formed on its side pieces and being provided withposts secured to said pieces, combined with the beams B and O, braces E,rods Fand H, and a sectional ladder, substantially as described.

3. The beams G 0, having the shaft G mounted in suitable bearingsthereon and provided with a ratchet'and-pawl mechanism,the beams B B,provided with pulleys at their free ends, the braces E, rods F and H,and the axle A,combined with a sectional ladder and ropes attached tothe upper ends of the stilesof one of the sections and leading over thesaid pulleys to the shaft G, to be wound thereon, substantially as setforth.

4. The ladder -sections I J K, having the guides z',and a system ofropes and pulleys operated by a revoluble shaft having a ratchetand-pawlmechanism for extending said ladder-section, combinedwith a truck, rodsconmeeting the foot of the section I with the axle of said truck, beamsB and O, suitably connected and braced to said truck, and ropes leadingfrom the top of the section I over pulleys at the upper end of the beamsB to a shaft mounted in the beams 0 near their lower ends, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

5. The ladder -seotions I J K, having the guides 17 and stops 2" 17, anda system of ropes and pulleys for operating said sections, the sectionsI and J being also provided with ratchet-plates L and M, combined withthe spring-pawls N, mounted on the stiles of the sections J K andadapted to engage with the teeth of said ratchet-plates, and a catchconsisting of a spring-actuated hook, substantially as described, forholding-the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Witnesses:

WVM. H. H. CLARY, FRANK HODGES.

